


The Lake House

by physicalmachinist



Category: Fence (Comics)
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Flashbacks, Friendship, I Don't Even Know, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-05 05:03:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15163253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/physicalmachinist/pseuds/physicalmachinist
Summary: It’s been hot so I’m digging the “we obviousLY have to spend a weekend at a lake house” trope.





	1. Chapter 1

"That's seven minutes,” Bobby calls.

The boy’s eyes switch between the stopwatch in his hand and Nicholas. Nicholas’s back against the wall of the weight room is the only support he has during his last wall sit of the day. The taller boy tries hard not to focus on the pain in his legs or their inability to stop shaking. He exhales and sets his hands on his legs for stability.

“You’re not breathing. Breathe,” Bobby commands.

Beads of sweat run down Nicholas’s face and sting his eye. Reflex causes him to close his eyes, which were now flooding with water. He can’t discern if it’s just the sweat that triggers the tears. 

He recalls one of the last nights spent practicing his form and technique with Coach Joe. The two sparring while barely equipped, using just a mask and épée. Extra effort put into avoiding the parts of the floor still wet from Nicholas’s mopping.

“I can only stay for ten more minutes,” Joe tells Nicholas during a water break after an hour of practice.

“That’s not a problem, and I really appreciate you doing this,” Nicholas smiles as he puts his water to the side and puts his mask back on his head damp with sweat. 

“Just one question... What made you so interested in fencing?”

Nicholas ponders. Fencing is in his blood, but so is Robert Coste. The Olympic gold medalist. The father who’s deadbeat only to Nicholas. His half-brother, Jesse, reaps the benefits of the Olympian’s parenting.

But Nicholas never dwells on his dealt hand for too long.

“There aren’t a lot of sports that have the same art and precision as fencing,” he states. “It draws me in.”

“I see,” Joe nods as he puts on his own mask.

The two fence until Joe has to officially lock up the studio. Nicholas thanks him one more time and heads out the door. The freezing temperature outside gives the perfect contrast to the stuffy studio, and Nicholas soaks in the air before it begins to bite.

“Hey, kid,” Joe calls as he locks the door behind him. “You proved yourself from when you said you work hard. Keep that attitude, and you’ll make it to wherever you want.”

Nicholas still carries those words with him everywhere, especially when he's hurting.

“Three... two... one... stop!”

Panting, Nicholas drops to the ground on Bobby’s count. Bobby approaches Nicholas to hand him a towel and water.

“I can’t believe you made it to ten minutes. Good job,” Bobby praises.

“The record is over eleven hours, but at least my lunges are gonna be killer.” Nicholas lifts himself from the ground, his breaths still short and heavy. He looks to Bobby. “And guess who has one more wall sit to do.”

“Uhh, it’s getting kind of late...”

“Absolutely not. Make it to five minutes and we’re done.”

***

Nicholas and Bobby trudge into the empty Kings Row locker room with the burn of their leg day in each step. Bobby slowly eases himself onto a bench near their lockers while Nicholas plops onto the ground.

“You’re going to have to carry me back to Castello,” Bobby winces as he shifts in his seat.

“I’m flattered that you think I can make it all the way there while carrying you. I don’t even think I can make it there myself,” Nicholas grunts, picking himself from the floor to enter his locker.

“You’re already standing, so I stand by what I said,” Bobby states.

The doors of the locker room swing open as Harvard and Aiden enter. In the midst of their conversation, they fail to notice Nicholas and Bobby near their respective lockers.

“I just think it’ll be cool to go down there before school starts to pick up. Just me, you, maybe a couple others like Kally and Tanner,” Aiden says to Harvard as they open their lockers.

“You think they’d be up for it?” Harvard asks.

“Yeah, why not?”

“There’s school work, fencing, college applications...”

“And all of those things will still be here after this weekend. Come on, Coach actually gave us the rare treat of a weekend off. We can go to the lake house now while it’s still warm out, and, like, one more time before the end of the year.”

“Okay, I’ll consider it.”

“Awesome!” Aiden smiles, triggering Harvard’s own smile.

“Did you say a lake house?!” Nicholas barges into Aiden and Harvard’s conversation, causing the two seniors to jump. “Sorry about that, but what’s the deal with a lake house?”

“Nothing that involves you,” Aiden responds.

“Ouch.” Nicholas scowls. Bobby grabs his arm and starts to pull him away.

“It’s alright, Nicholas, they can do their own thing.”

“The more, the merrier, wouldn’t you think?” Nicholas continues, “I’m thinking us four, Tanner and Kally, as you said. We should probably include Eugene, and... and I could even get Seiji to come.”

“Seiji?” Bobby’s face lights up, but straightens out after catching himself. “Seiji would never get away from a piste or his trainer for more than a few hours.”

“I bet he wouldn’t even consider showing up,” Harvard adds.

“Yeah? Well, I bet you he would,” Nicholas retorts.

Aiden chuckles. “If you can get Seiji to come, you can bring whomever you want to the lake house.”

“It’s on! I’ll be nice, though, and only invite the decent fencers, and whoever else you'll want there.”

“Oh, so you’re one of the decent fencers now?”

“Wait, but I beat you, didn’t I?”

“This year’s frosh don’t know their place, Harvard,” Aiden laments in a singsong manner. He and Harvard close their lockers and grab their belongings.

“We need proof that Seiji is coming by tomorrow. We’re going to be there from Friday evening to Sunday night,” Harvard states.

“If that information will be relevant to you,” Aiden adds.

“Okay, got it,” Nicholas waves Aiden off as he and Harvard leave the locker room.

Bobby turns to face Nicholas. “Do you really think you can get Seiji to take a weekend off?”

Nicholas pauses to consider his roommate. Would Seiji be willing to spend a weekend at a lake house with such a group? Does Seiji even enjoy fun?

“Don't worry, I'll figure it out." Nicholas assures Bobby and himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Much to his enjoyment, Nicholas is the only person in his and Seiji’s room. He retreats into his bed after taking a shower and putting on a black tank top and shorts. His nightly routine consists of getting into bed, attempting his homework for a couple of hours, and watching YouTube videos until falling asleep.

In the middle of Nicholas’s YouTube marathon, Seiji enters the room with his fencing equipment and school bag. He strides into his side of the room and jerks the curtain towards the door, sealing himself from the other side. Nicholas pauses his video and glares at the curtain. The ducks hold the space for what should be his roommate. Sometimes, he catches himself picturing the ducks instead of Seiji whenever someone mentions the star fencer.

“Seiji,” Nicholas calls through the barrier. He hears Seiji exhale through his nose while moving around his belongings.

“Zero.” Seiji walks towards the bathroom holding a shower caddy, a towel, and his pajamas.

“Up to anything this weekend?” Nicholas gets up and approaches the curtain, awaiting Seiji’s response.

Yeah,” Seiji states, entering the bathroom and closing the door behind him.

Nicholas trudges back into his bed. He wishes he and Seiji would get along, or at least that he roomed with someone that didn’t put up literal walls (or curtains). He gets back up and knocks on the bathroom door.

“What do you want?” Seiji yells through the running water of the shower.

“Come to Aiden’s lake house this weekend,” Nicholas replies, “Everyone’s going to be there.”

“No.”

“Come on, do something fun just this once.” Nicholas waits a moment for a response he doesn’t receive.

“Look, you don’t have to stay there the whole weekend ‘cause I know you’re super busy or whatever. Come Friday evening, at least, then you can come back here and do what you want.” Seiji turns off the tap. Some time passes before the bathroom door opens. Seiji comes out dressed in his pajamas only to be face to face with Nicholas, who stands akimbo.

“Move,” Seiji demands. He tries to push through his roommate, but Nicholas barely budges.

“No one thinks you’re going to come.”

“They’re right.”

“But how cool would it be to prove them wrong?”

“I don’t need to prove anything to anyone.”

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that.” The words leave Nicholas’s mouth before he can think about them.

“What do you mean by that?” Seiji scowls and takes a step back away from Nicholas.

“Forget it.” Nicholas walks away from Seiji. He knows this isn’t the best time for an argument, and he might as well leave the situation alone if it’ll only go downhill.

“No, tell me what you mean,” Seiji insists, sliding the curtain over and entering Nicholas’s side of the room.

“I just mean that that’s a good mindset to have. You know, not needing to prove yourself to anyone.”

Seiji glares at Nicholas for a long time. Too long. Nicholas can almost see the thoughts running through Seiji’s head. He breaks eye contact with Seiji to look at anything but him.

“Fine,” Seiji finally lets out.

“Fine what?”

“I’ll go, but only for Friday night,” Seiji stresses the word only.

“No way!”

Seiji walks back to his side of the room, making sure to leave no space between the rubber duck curtain and the wall as he slid the divider closed once again.

“I’ll make sure you won’t regret it!” Nicholas calls to Seiji.

Seiji’s only response is turning off his lamp.

Nicholas leaves the room and goes down the hallway to Harvard and Aiden’s room. He knocks quietly but firmly in hopes that they’d hear. The door cracks open softly to reveal Harvard on the other side.

“Nicholas? What is it?” Harvard asks, letting Nicholas into the room.

“Guess who I got to go to the lake house.”

“You did not get Seiji to agree…”

“I did!” Nicholas briefly looks around the room. “Where’s Aiden?”

“He’s not here right now.”

“But it’s a Wednesday night, and it’s past curfew.”

Harvard shrugs.

“Well, you guys better be prepared for a party.” Nicholas walks deeper into the room and sits on Harvard’s bed.

Harvard sighs. “How many people do you plan on bringing?”

“The eight of us that I mentioned earlier today, but I was also thinking that we could throw a party on Saturday night.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m not, and I think there should be a vote tomorrow to see if everyone’s down.”

“Say we have this hypothetical party,” Harvard entertains, “Who’s getting the goods?”

“I know somebody that can supply drinks, but we’d have to charge admission so that the money could be made back.”

Harvard shakes his head but smirks. “You’ve really thought this through, huh?”

“You underestimate me?”

Nicholas gets up and heads towards the door. “It’s late, so I’ll let you get some sleep, but let Aiden know when you see him that he lost for me.”

“He probably won’t be happy, but if you can bring the goods for Saturday, something tells me he’ll get over it.”

**Author's Note:**

> I underwrite so I'm trying my best :) Also comments/ constructive criticism are always appreciated!


End file.
